In-line roller skates include multiple wheels all rotating in a common plane such that a single row of wheels is created beneath each foot of the skater. This construction provides a skater with much of the same feel experienced on an ice skate, while the in-line roller skate may be used on a much wider variety of terrain.
Typical in-line skates include four wheels of the same size having axes of rotation within the same horizontal plane parallel to the riding surface. All the wheels are carried and rotatably supported within a lower frame that is attached to the base of a shoe or boot. The frame configuration determines the number, size, and location of the in-line wheels used with the skate. Frame configuration also determines whether advanced features such as "rocketing" axles and brakes can be used.
The frame and the base of the boot are generally integrally molded as a single piece or are permanently fastened together by riveting or bonding. Such an integral structure prevents a user from adjusting the location of the frame with respect to the boot or from removing and exchanging one set of frames for another set of frames of a different configuration. It is important that a purchaser consider all of the various options available on in-line skates because it is generally not possible to add or change features after purchase. Thus, a beginning skater typically purchases an in-line skate designed for beginners and must upgrade to a different in-line skate as his ability improves or he desires more advanced features.
An average recreational skater is usually satisfied with the performance of a standard in-line roller skate and is not concerned with exchanging or upgrading the parts of the roller skate to improve performance. However, advanced skaters may benefit from the ability to exchange the wheels, axles, or frames for those of different configurations depending upon the terrain or intended skating activity.
Skaters of differing abilities benefit from a different placement of the frame, and thus wheels, longitudinally along the length of a boot. A skater that desires a greater degree of toe push benefits from shifting the frame forward toward the toe of the boot while less aggressive skaters may favor shitting the frame rearward toward the heel of the boot. Depending upon the terrain, a skater may also benefit from increasing the length of the flame and thus the wheelbase to increase stability. Some skaters desire the ability to attach frames having an extremely long wheelbase and an increased number of wheels to simulate ski training.
Racers generally use skates having five wheels, while stunt skaters use skates having four wheels. In some applications, it is beneficial to minimize the profile of the frame and wheels so that the bottom of the boot is closer to the skating surface. A stunt skater may also wish to change the vertical alignment of the wheels into several different configurations, depending upon the type of stunts to be performed. For example, the front and rear wheels may be raised above the level of the middle wheels to provide a "rockering" effect. A skater having "rockered" wheels more closely parallels the feel of a hockey-style skate and may be used for more stunts and maneuvers. Some skaters also desire active braking systems to assist them in stopping. Unfortunately, current in-line skates do not offer all of the above-mentioned features on a single skate, thus a user is forced to settle for an in-line skate incorporating only some of the features they desire.
The base of the boot and the frame are generally integrally molded or permanently attached, thus separate tooling is required to form boots having a different sized base or frame. The tooling used to manufacture in-line skates is not universally interchangeable between any boot size and frame combination. Noninterchangeability of tooling increases the capital expense of the manufacturer and the complexity of the assembly process. The integral boot and frame combination also limits the interchangeability of the pans of the in-line roller skate. Thus, the manufacturer is forced to offer numerous different in-line skate designs including different features in order to please its customers.
From the manufacturer's point of view, it may be desirable to produce a universal boot design that can be used with any frame design. Such a boot would allow the manufacturer to change the boot design or the frame design independently without making corresponding changes in the other parts of the in-line skate. It may also be beneficial to produce an in-line skate having a frame that can be easily removed and exchanged, thus allowing the manufacturer to sell upgraded frame designs or advanced options to purchasers.
Another disadvantage of prior an skate designs is the complexity of attaching the frame to the boot. As discussed above, some boots incorporate the frame integrally within the base of the boot. Other skate designs permanently bolt or otherwise fasten the frame to the base of the boot. Failure to carefully align the boot and the frame during mounting can introduce alignment errors that affect the skate's performance. Generally, manufacturers use complex aligning jigs to hold both the boot and frame in alignment while holes are drilled in the bottom of the boot and frame to accommodate fasteners. To reduce the need for complex jigs it would be beneficial for the base of each boot to include a built-in alignment structure. Such a structure would ensure that frames would be properly aligned during drilling and fastening operations.
The present invention was developed to overcome some of the disadvantages with the prior art identified above. As will be understood from the following discussion, the present invention provides significant advantages over prior art in-line skates by providing an in-line skate that allows the frames to be interchanged without purchasing new skates. The present invention also allows the longitudinal location of the flames to be adjusted and provides an alignment structure to ensure that the frames are properly positioned on the base of the boot.